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Hindustan Times
30-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
10 holidays and observances in June 2025
Be it a day to celebrate or commemorate, here are 10 days of occasions that you can look forward to marking in your June calendars: Also Read: The Cheesecake Factory eyes expansion with new locations: Find out when and where An annual observance, the first of June marks the beginning of Pride month- a cultural celebration and fight for LGBTQ+ rights. The significance of the month traces back to the 1969 Stonewall Inn protests in New York, which demonstrated this community's fight for equal rights. In the modern day and age, colorful parades, large-scale festivities, and demonstrations begin on the first of June and last throughout the month. Also Read: 5 Pride rallies and protests to spread your colors at The occasion is a state holiday in Alabama and is commemorated to honor the Civil War leader and Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Alabama marks the day on the first Monday of June each year, while Florida celebrates the occasion on June 3 i.e, Davis' birthday. Mississippi celebrates in tandem with Memorial Day festivities on the last Monday of May. Associations linked with Davis reunite each year, and a 'Miss Confederacy' is crowned at the Jefferson Davis State Historic Site in Kentucky each year as part of the festivities. Kentucky does not mark a holiday but carries out informal celebrations. D-Day marks one of America's most significant military victories during World War II. Back in 1944, Allied troops reached the shores of Normandy in France to gain 'nothing less than full victory,' as stated by then-President Dwight D Eisenhower. Exhibitions are held in museums and war memorials to commemorate the troops and armor lost on the day. June 6 is a day for observance. Businesses operate at regular functioning hours. Native American Day is celebrated to learn about the culture of America's indigenous population, ranging from the Inuit of Alaska to the Cherokees of the south. Arizona and South Dakota have declared a state holiday on June 2 in honor of the day. If the date falls on a weekday, festivities are conducted on the next nearest weekend. Five other states have marked the day for official state observance. Powwows, markets, and exhibitions are organized to learn about the traditions and language of the Native American people. Celebrated in Hawaii, Kamehameha Day honors the legacy of Kamehameha the Great, the monarch who ruled the state from 1782 to 1819. The day is a state holiday only in Hawaii with schools and offices being shut and most public transport running on a slower schedule. Festivities include carnivals, events, and races in many parts along with the famed king's statue being wrapped in lei (flower garlands), horse riding competitions, a floral parade through Honolulu, and the annual King Kamehameha Hula Competition. On this day in 1775, Congress authorized the establishment of the Continental Army. Celebrated to mark this occasion each year, regular working hours follow through since this has not been declared a public holiday. This year's celebrations will mark the 250th anniversary of the US Army. A large military parade is being organized in Washington, DC to mark the special occasion. Celebrated on the third Sunday of June, Father's Day is meant to recognize and praise the contribution of fathers to their children's lives. The occasion has been marked as a state holiday in Arizona and is celebrated as a day of observance in other areas. Since this is a relatively modern occasion, traditions can vary from family to family. Kids often shower their father with cards, gifts, and treats on the day. Bunker Hill Day is marked as a day of observance to remember the Battle of Bunker Hill, also known as the Battle of Breed's Hill, back in 1775. The movement was a part of the American Revolutionary War. Historical sites and museums celebrate the event on the nearest Sunday so that a maximum number of people can attend. An annual parade is organized in Charleston, Massachusetts, to commemorate the occasion. Many people take a trip down to the Bunker Hill Monument or other historic sites on the Boston Freedom Trail. Celebrated as a state holiday in some and a day of observance in others, Juneteenth marks the freedom of slaves in Texas when Union Soldiers enforced the Emancipation Proclamation back in 1865. The name is a combination of the words 'June' and 'Nineteenth', which got merged in speech. Most offices are usually closed in areas that mark a state holiday on this date, although some shops and public transport may be operational. Decorations, barbecues, block parties, local competitions, and public displays are organized to celebrate the day. Carolina Day marks a day of historic significance in America's bid for freedom from Great Britain. The Battle of Sullivan's Island was a significant event that prompted the Declaration of Independence to be adopted just a few days later. Schools and offices remain open, and the occasion is celebrated as a day of observance. Special events and outreach programs are organized in celebration.
Axios
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Confederate statues are gone, but few see progress since 2020
A vast majority of Americans say the increased focus on race and racial inequality after police killed George Floyd in 2020 didn't lead to changes that improved the lives of Black Americans, a new Pew Research Center survey finds. The big picture: Over months of protests in Richmond that year, police tear-gassed protesters, streets burned and people sprayed graffiti on Confederate monuments that were eventually taken down. The city's landscape is forever changed because of it. Zoom in: Monument Avenue is a succession of grassy mounds filling in the plots where the vestiges of our Confederate past stood for over 100 years. The peed-on Jefferson Davis statue that protesters took down now lies inside The Valentine. And scraps of other monuments fill a statue graveyard by the city's wastewater treatment plant. Yes, but: Five years later, the momentum appears all but gone. The creation of the region's first Civilian Review Board began in 2020, but it's still in limbo. City Council has yet to adopt the policies dictating how the board would review and investigate use-of-force incidents. Legislation to do so was withdrawn in April. And the Marcus Alert System, a program meant to limit police involvement in mental health crises, has struggled with staffing. By the numbers: Nationwide, 72% of Americans say the increased focus on racial inequality didn't lead to significant changes that helped Black people, per Pew. More than half of U.S. adults (54%) say the relationship between Black people and police is about the same as before Floyd was killed. 82% of Black Americans say the nation hasn't gone far enough when it comes to Black people having equal rights with white people.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MS celebrates Jefferson Davis' birthday as a state holiday. What to know on Memorial Day
Mississippi honors Confederate President Jefferson Davis today. The Magnolia State isn't the only one to honor him with a state holiday or local celebration, but it is the only one to combine it with Memorial Day. It's the third of three Confederate holidays on the state calendar, starting with a celebration of Robert E. Lee and Martin Luther King Jr. in February and Confederate Memorial Day in April. Here's what you need to know about when and why Mississippi celebrates Confederate holidays and what other states still honor them. Davis was born in Kentucky on June 3, 1808, but Mississippi pairs it with Memorial Day on the last Monday in May. The president of the Confederacy spent most of his life in the Magnolia State and served it in both houses of the U.S. Congress. The Davis family moved to the Mississippi Territory in 1812. In 1824, he graduated from West Point, the U.S. Military Academy and served in the U.S. Army, according to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Davis settled near family near Vicksburg, planted cotton and owned slaves in Warren County. In 1845, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and resigned in less than a year to fight with the Mississippi Rifles in the Mexican War. In 1847, he was wounded and later was appointed to fill a seat in the U.S. Senate. In 1851, he resigned to run for governor of Mississippi but did not win. He campaigned for Franklin Pierce and served as the president's secretary of war. He was re-elected to the Senate in 1857. He resigned and announced Mississippi was seceding from the Union four years later. By October of 1861, he was president of the Confederate States of America. After Lee surrendered, Davis and his family ran but were later captured. He was held on treason charges for two years. The federal government dropped charges against him in 1869. By 1877, he moved to Beauvoir in Biloxi and died in New Orleans in 1889. The Biloxi building now serves as a presidential library. It's open daily and offers tours. The organization that maintains it will celebrate his 217th birthday on Saturday, May 31, with a showing of Shirley Temple's "The Littlest Rebel" and a Mississippi Rifles Honor Salute. Admission is $15 per person, and movie tickets cost another $2. Alabama also has a state holiday for Confederate President Jefferson Davis on the first Monday in June. In Florida, it's a local observance, according to but not an official state holiday that offices and schools or businesses would close for. Sitting with history: Mississippi senator uses Jefferson Davis' desk in US Congress today Yes. There were multiple bills to remove Lee's birthday and Confederate Memorial Day from the state calendar in the most recent regular session of the Mississippi Legislature. None were successful. Two U.S. states honor Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on the federal holiday for Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is always scheduled to take place on the third Monday in January. President Ronald Regan signed the bill creating the holiday into federal law in 1983. It was first observed in 1986. King was born on Jan. 15, 1929. When the federal holiday was adopted in the 1980s, Mississippi and Alabama lawmakers opted to add it to an existing holiday honoring Confederate general Robert E. Lee. Many states in the South initially adopted this approach. Most, including Lee's home state of Virginia, have since dropped celebrating Lee, who was born on Jan. 19, 1807. Mississippi celebrated Confederate Memorial Day on Monday, April 28, this year. Only four states still honor the Civil War dead with a day off for public workers, though others still treat it as a holiday. The Magnolia State takes it a step further and celebrates April as Confederate Heritage Month. Confederate Memorial Day was created in Georgia on April 26, 1866. It honored the deaths of Confederate soldiers on the first anniversary of the day that Confederate Gen. Joseph Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee to Union Gen. William Sherman at Bennett Place, North Carolina. Many in the Confederacy felt that negotiation marked the end of the Civil War. Lee had surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant two weeks earlier at Appomattox Court House, but Johnston stayed in the field with almost 90,000 soldiers. The holiday spread to the other Confederate states. Some changed their celebration dates to something more locally significant. In Alabama and Florida, it's on the fourth Monday in April. Alabama treats it as an official holiday. Texas celebrates it as a state holiday on Jan. 19. North and South Carolina celebrate on May 10, but state offices close only in South Carolina. June 3 is when Kentucky and Tennessee honor the dead from the Civil War, and Tennessee calls it Confederate Decoration Day. No. Mississippi does not honor Juneteenth, though it is a federal holiday. Juneteenth is a federal holiday that honors June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas were set free. The order for the state came about two and a half years after the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation. Many state holidays in Mississippi sync up with federal holidays, but not all of them, according to the list from the Department of Finance and Administration. Wednesday, Jan. 1: New Year's Day. Monday, Jan. 20: Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert E. Lee. Monday, Feb. 17: Washington's Birthday. Monday, April 28: Confederate Memorial Day. Monday, May 26: National Memorial Day and Jefferson Davis' birthday. Friday, July 4: Independence Day. Monday, Sept. 1: Labor Day. Tuesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day or Armistice Day. Thursday, Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day. Thursday, Dec. 25: Christmas Day. Here are the federal holidays in 2025, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Wednesday, Jan. 1: New Year's Day. Monday, Jan. 20: Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. and Inauguration Day. Monday, Feb. 17: Washington's Birthday. Monday, May 26: Memorial Day. Thursday, June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day. Friday, July 4: Independence Day. Monday, Sept. 1: Labor Day. Monday, Oct. 13: Columbus Day. Tuesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day. Thursday, Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day. Thursday, Dec. 25: Christmas Day. Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi honors Confederate president on Memorial Day. What to know
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Obama Magnet hosts final walkthrough for Class of 2025
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Obama Magnet IB World School in Jackson hosted a final walkthrough celebration on Thursday for the Class of 2025. This graduating class holds a unique and meaningful place in the school's history. As fifth graders, they were part of the renaming of the school from Jefferson Davis to honor President Barack Obama. Seven years later, they returned as graduates to say farewell to a building that has played a defining role in their academic journey. Jackson schools offer free summer meals for kids 'This is more than a graduation, it's a celebration of legacy, transformation, and opportunity,' said Dr. Kathleen Grigsby, former principal of Obama Magnet and now Assistant Elementary Superintendent of Jackson Public Schools (JPS). 'The Class of 2025 began their story with hope and change, and they now leave behind a legacy that will inspire students for generations to come.' The campus, located on North Congress Street, will officially close its doors as part of JPS's district-wide optimization plan. While the school's name and International Baccalaureate (IB) designation will remain, Obama Magnet will merge with and relocate to the campus of Northwest IB Middle School. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
On This Day, May 10: Nazis invade Low Countries to bypass France's Maginot Line
May 10 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured by Union troops. He spent the next two years in prison. In 1869, the "golden spike" was driven at Promontory, Utah, joining the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific lines to form America's first transcontinental railway. In 1908, Mother's Day was observed for the first time in the United States. In 1924, J. Edgar Hoover was appointed director of the FBI. He held the position until his death in 1972. In 1940, Nazi Germany invaded Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, swinging 89 army divisions around France's so-called impregnable Maginot Line. In 1940, Winston Churchill became prime minister of Great Britain. In 1984, a federal judge in Utah found the U.S. government negligent in above-ground Nevada nuclear tests from 1951 to 1962 that exposed downwind residents to radiation. In 1990, China, in an attempt to show an improving human rights record, released 211 people jailed since the previous year's crackdown on the pro-democracy movement. Most of the prisoners were arrested during protests in Tiananmen Square. In 1994, John Wayne Gacy, the convicted killer of 33 young men and boys, was executed in Illinois. In 2002, former FBI agent Robert Hanssen, who had spied for the Soviet Union and Russia for more than 20 years, was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. In 2007, British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced he would step down in June after 10 years in office. In 2013, the Internal Revenue Service apologized for giving special scrutiny to applications for tax-exempt status that used the words "Tea Party" or "patriots." In 2014, Michael Sam, former Missouri defensive end, was drafted in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams -- the first openly gay player to be selected by an NFL team. In 2022, after more than 20 years Apple announced it was ending production of its iPod music player.
